Automatic spring-winding mechanism for clocks.



.E. .E. WILKINSON & S. ARONSON. AUTOMATIC SPRING WINDING MECHANISM FOR GLOGKS.

APPLICATION FILED 0011.10, 1913.

Patented Jan, 19, 1915.

WWI Lucas: w! Shawn cow I mm THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES rnrENT OFFICE.

ELMER. n. wimimsoii AND SAUL ABONSON, or New YORK, N. 1.; SAID ARONSON ASSIGNOR T0 shin WILKINSON.

AUTOMATIC SPRING-ENDING IIIEGHANI$M FOIL CLOCKS.

Application fil d. October 10, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lHlQ wn that we, ELMER E. WILKIN- son and SAUL AnoNsoN, citizens of th United States of America, and residents of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic SpringJVinding Mechanism for Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to clocks and other time pieces, and to that class of time pieces comprising a spring for driving the time movement, and another and stronger spring for rewinding the spring of the time movement automatically at frequent intervals.

Our invention consists in-novel and improved means, operated by the spring of the time movement itself, controlling the re winding of such spring of the time movement, and in other features as hereinafter described.

The objectof our invention is to improve and simplify clocks and other time pieces, particularly those of the class referred to.

It is well known that as the tension of the driving spring of a time movement decreases, the movement tends to run more slowly. This is often noticeable in the case of eight day movements and thirty day movements, etc, comprising one or more springs driving the time movement directly, and which are intended to be rewound weekly or monthly only. To obviate this trouble, ithas been proposed to drive the time movement by a relatively delicate spring which is rewound automatically at very frequent intervals, say at intervals of an hour, by a spring of such power that it requires rewinding only at the end of a week, of a month, or other relatively long period. In such class the spring driving the time movement directly is commonly called the intermediate spring, and the larger spring, the function of which is to rewind such intermed ate sprmg at frequent intervals, is termed the mam spring even though the function of the main spring, in"

such cases, is not to drive the time movement directly, as but is merely to spring. By employing an intermedlate spring and main spring, as described, with suitable gearing the variations in rate of running of the time movement recur so fre- Specification of Letters Patent.

in ordinary time pieces, rewind the lntermedi ate Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Serial No. 794,866.

quently, and each is in itself so small, that such variations are unnoticeable, being compensated for by the ordinary regulation of the movement. Some difiiculty has been experienced, however, in devising suitable means, operable by the time movement or the intermediate spring which drives such movement, for throwing the rewinding mechanism into and out of action. The means employed for this purpose must not exert any material retardation to the runningof the time movement, else it may cause that time movement to stop altogether, or may so seriously retard the running of the time movement as to introduce so great variations in speed of the time movement that these variations become noticeable, and therefore objectionable.

In the mechanism herein described the means controlling the rewinding of the intermediate spring is of such nature that it does not retard noticeably the time movement, and requires very little power for its operation.

lVe will now proceed to describe our invention with relation to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features in the claims.

In said drawings: Figure 1 shows a top view of the intermediate spring, spring barrel, and the rewinding train plate above which the intermediate spring and its barrel are mounted, Fig. 2 shows a bottom View of'a portion of the time movement. Fig. 3 shows a top view of the intermediate plate of the rewinding movement and parts associated therewith, the gears of the rewinding. movement being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 shows a side view of the clock mechanism, including both the time train and the rewinding train, and the barrels of the main spring and intermediate spring. Fig. 5 shows an aXial section through the top plate ofthe rewinding movement and through the intermediate spring and spring barrel, the bottom plate of the time movement being shown in elevation.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Fig. l, 1 designates the top plate of the time moi ement, 2 the bottom plate thereof, 3 the top plate ofthe rewinding movement, t the-intermediate plate thereof, and 5 the bottom-plate thereof; and 6 designates suitable pillars'connecting the plates 1, 3, 4 and 5. 7 designates,-in Fig. 3,.tlie main spring,

and 8 designates the barrel of the main spring. 9 designates the arbor for the rewinding of the main spring, and 10 the usual ratchet wheel of such rewinding arbor.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3

and 5, 11 designates the intermediate spring,

12 the barrel of the intermediate spring, and 13 a guard, projecting across the top of spring 11 and secured at its ends to the top of the drum 12 of the intermediate spring, which guard serves to prevent the intermediate spring from rising as it unwinds. 14 designates a flat spring secured at its rear end at 15 to the intermediate-spring-barrel 12, which spring 14 extends across the top of intermediate spring 11, and is provided with an inclined portion 16 engaging the outer coil of the intermediate spring 11. Spring '14 is further provided with a beveled end portion 17 normally engaging the upturned end 18 of a detent 19 pivoted at 20 to plates 3 and 4. This detent 19 has an arm 21 adapted'to project into the path of a lug 22 driven by the main spring (within drum 8) through suitable gearing, as hereinafter described. 23 designates a light spring tending to press detent 19 -21 out of the path of this lug 22; which movement of the detent 1921 is normally prevented by the beveled end 17 of the fiat spring 14 (Fig. 1). The main spring, within barrel 8, is connected, as is usual, to an arbor 24 (Fig. 4) upon which is mounted a gear 25; this gear 25 drives, through gear train 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, an arbor 31 upon which the barrel 12 of the intermediate spring is secured. It will be plain, therefore, that when the train 2630 is permitted to run the intermediate spring 11 will be rewound. The train so driven by the main spring comprises also a branch train consisting of gear 32, on the same shaft with gear 28, pinion 33, gear 34, pinion 35, gear 36, and pinion 37, the latter pinion, 37, carrying the detent lug 22 before mentioned. The intermediate spring, 11, is connected at its center, in the usual manner, to a hook 38 on a two part arbor 39, 39*, on which arbor the minute hand 40 is mounted. This arbor 39 also drives, through the usual gear train 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46, the escapementwheel 47, the motion of which is controlled by an escapement lever 48, balance wheel 49 and hair spring 50.

VVe'have not illustrated the complete time train, but only enough thereof to constitute a diagrammatic representation thereof. In particular, the gearing by which an hour hand would be driven, has been omitted. In general, the construction of the time train itself, including by such term'both the mechanism for driving the escapement wheel and the mechanism for driving the hands, forms no portion of our invention, and such time train. may be of any suitable construction, The mechanism, driven by the main spring,

for rewinding the intermediate spring, may also obviously be varied greatly, and we do not limit ourselves to any particular construction of such mechanism.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: Supposing the time train to be running, when the intermediate spring 11 is unwound sufiiciently to require rewindin its outer coil will have engaged the inclined portion 16 of spring 14, and will have raised theouter end 17 of that spring 14, out of engagement with the stop pin 18. Said stop pin 18, with detent 19-21 of which it forms a part, is then forced inward by spring 23, out of engagement with the lug 22, and the rewinding train driven by the main spring within drum 8 will operate, said main spring transmitting motion to arbor 31 and to the barrel 2 of intermediate spring 11, rewinding said intermediate spring. If after one rotation of the barrel of the intermediate spring, such intermediate spring has been rewound suiiiciently, its outer coil will have been drawn in away from the inclined portion 16 of flat spring 14, permitting the outer end 17 of that fiat spring to drop (as it will because of the resilience of spring 14) so that the end 17 of spring 14 will engage the pin 18, forcing the latter out and forcing the end of detent 21 into the path of lug 22, so arresting the running of the rewinding train. If, after the first rotation of the barrel of the intermediate spring, that intermediate spring has not been rewound sufficiently to permit the end of spring 14 to drop into engagement with pin 18. the barrel of the intermediate spring will rotate one or more times farther until the intermediate spring has been rewound sufliciently; whereupon the detent will be operated, as just above described. As will be obvious, a train such as 3736-3534 33, 32 and the further train 3029-28 27-26 and 25 has a certain amount of yield, so that although the lug 22 is stopped abruptly, the motion of the complete train driven by the main spring within barrel 8 is cushioned somewhat, and sufiiciently to prevent undue shock upon the arrest of the rewinding motion.

One feature of our invention resides in the employment of a two part arbor 3939, for transmitting motion from the intermediate spring 11 to the time train. It is desirable from time to time to remove the time train for cleaning and oiling of that time train, and also for cleaning and oiling of the.

winding and cushioning trains, the time train, when in place, covering portions of the rewinding and cushioning trains and so interfering with access thereto. The com plete time train, including the frame plates land 2', is arranged to be lifted away from the rest of the mechanism; and to avoid straining and distorting the intermediate spring 11, when so removing the time train, and to avoid necessity of disengaging such intermediate spring from the part 39, which drives directly, the two part arbor 39 9 s employed. Arbor 39* has an end portion 1, of polygonal cross section and of reduced diameter, fitting closely within an aperture of corresponcing size cross section in the or 39 of the arbor. it will be apparent that, by reason of this construction, the time train can be lifted from the rest of the mechanism without disturbing the intermediate spring 11, the portion 39 of the arbor remaining in place within that intermediate spring, the portion 51 of the arbor section being drawn out of the corresponding aperture in member 39. l hen replacing the time train, this member 51 is inserted in its corresponding aperture in the member 39, the driving connection from the spring 11 to the time train being thereby restored.

Another feature of our invention resides in the suspension of the member 39 clear of the spring barrel 12 and the arbor 31 which drives that spring barrel. The member is supported in part by its hook eng gin the inner turn of the spring 11, and in pa by the arbor member 39 for the close it o the member 51 within the corresoondin, aperture of member 39 prevents drooping of the member and the sprin 11, but its engagement with the hook 38 holds member 39 in suspension, away from the bottom ot the spring barrel 12 and away from the top of the arbor 81. Thereby friction between member 39 and spring barrel 12 and arbor 31 is avoided.

In this specification and in one of the fol lowing claims, we use the term polygonal cross section with reference to the cross section of the member 51 and the recess in member 39 in which that member 51 fits, as inclusive of all cross sections other than circular: that is to say, all cross sections capable of transmission of rotary motion from member 39 to member 39 without rotation of member 39 with reference to member 39.

What we claim is 1. A spring-winding mechanism such as described comprising in combination a main spring, an intermediate spring, gearing driven by the main spring for rewinding the intermediate spring, a detent member eX- tending over the intermediate spring and having an inclined portion adapted to be engaged by a coil of such intermediate spring, whereby said detent member is lifted by the unwinding of the intermediate spring, said detent member arranged to move to normal position when the spring permits, and detent means, which the detent member engages norma ly, but which it does not engage when so raised, controlling the motion of the spring-winding mechanism.

spring, and having an inclined portion adapted to be engaged by a coil of such intermediate spring, whereby said resilient detent member is lifted by the unwinding of the intermediate spring, said resilient detent member arranged to move to normal position when the spring permits, and detent means. which the projecting end or the resilient detent member engages normally, but which it does not engage when so r aised. controlling the movement of the spring winding mechanism. V

A sprin -winding mechanism such as vbed cor ibination a main springan n ns. a rotary g-barrel therefor, d iven b the main antl dri he l of the intermediate spring, winding the intermediate sprii member extend ing over the inte iate spring. and having an inclined portion ada ted to be eng ge d by a coil of such i mediate sprin whereby said member is ding of the intermediate sp detena mem her rranged to mo to normal position when the spring permits, and detent means. which the projecting ends of the detent membcr engages normally. but ich it does not engage when so raised, controlling the movement of the spring-winding mechanism, the projecting end or" said detent member being beveled and thereby adapted to press back the portion or" said detent means normally engaged bv said projecting end, after one or more rotations of the barrel of the intermediate spring.

4. A spring-winding mechanism such as describeo comprising in combination a main spring. an intermediate spring, gearing driven by the main spring for rewinding the intermediate spring, a detent member arranged to be operated by the intermediate spring as it unwinds, and arranged to move in a direction at an angle to the plane of said intermediate spring, detent means, normally engaged by said detent member and normally engaging a meml er of the said gearing, whereby said gearing is normally pre vented from operating, and means tending to move said detent means out of path of tl e member of said gearing which it engages, said detent member arranged to be moved out of engagement with said detent means as the intermediate spring unwinds, and to move into position for such engagement when the intermediate spring is rewound and arranged when it so moves into position for engagement to force said detent means into position to arrest the operation of the gearing.

5. A spring-winding mechanism such as described comprising in combination a main spring, an intermediate spring, gearing driven by the main spring for rewinding the intermediate spring, other gearing likewise driven by the main spring and comprising a detent lug, a detent member arranged to be operated by the intermediate spring as it unwinds, and arranged to move in a direction at an angle to the plane of said intermediate spring, detent means, normally engaged by said detent member and when so engaged engaging the said detent lug, said detent member arranged to be moved out of engagement with said detent means when the intermediate spring unwinds, and to move into position for reengagement with said detent means when the intermediate spring has been rewound, and means for moving the detent means out of engagement with said detent lug, when the spring-actuated detent Gopies of this patent may be obtained for tion and expansion of such intermediate spring as the latter winds and unwinds, said detent member arranged tomove in a direction at an angle to the plane of said intermediate sprin 8. In a spring winding mechanism, the combination, with an intermediate spring, of a detent member, operated by the contraction and expansion of such intermediate spring as the latter winds and unwinds, said detent member arranged to move in a-direction transverse to the direction of movement of the intermediate sprin 9. Time piece mechanism such as described comprising in combination a main spring, an intermediate spring, gearing driven by the main spring for rewinding the intermediate spring and including a member engaging such intermediate spring to wind the same, another member likewise engaging the intermediate spring and arranged to be driven thereby, such driven member being suspended by said intermediate spring out of frictional engagement with the said member which winds said intermediate spring, whereby friction between the said driven member and the said spring winding member is avoided, and detent mechanism controlling the winding of the intermediate spring by the mechanism driven by the main sprin In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELMER E. WILKINSON. SAUL ARONSON.

Witnesses: V

Tnos. J. RnnMoNn, W. M. MCLEARY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner cf I'atents,

Washington, D. 0., 

